Description: This tool is designed to facilitate the correct positioing and holding of a pencil. Students Characteristics: Students who have autism or ADHD may benefit from using this handwriter tool. Autistic children tend to have poor motor skills and this handwriter tool will help them with their fine motor skills in order to hold a pencil correctly. Children with ADHD are very hyperactive and lose focus quickly. This handwriter tool will help them stay focused and keep their pencil in place. Environment: This handwriter tool can be used in any elementary or special education classroom.or at home. Tasks: This handwriter tool can help with handwriting and fine motor skills. Name: Jessica Ganslaw
Low Tech Tool:Pencil Grip
Price: $1.75 - http://www.onionmountaintech.com Name:Chelsea Miller Description: This small rubberized tool is used to help students hold their pencil correctly. Characteristics of Students: This would be a great tool for any child who is just not holding their pencil correctly. Some children need a little extra support when learning how to hold a pencil and this would be a great tool for them to use. This tool could also be used for a student who has ADHD and just needs a little something to help keep their hands in the correct place. This would also help an ADHD student stay focused on their hand writing. Environment: The Pencil Grip could be used in the classroom, or special education room. I would even suggest this to a parent to use at home with the student. Tasks: The Pencil grip can help with fine motor skills and handwriting.
Slant Board- $30.00
Description: A slant board provides an elevated reading and writing surface, providing assistance in both areas. Characteristics: Students who have fine motor challenges will find slant board to be more comfortable and easier to write. Additionally, students who need a closer visual connection to text would benefit from this product. Environment: This product can be used across any curriculum in which students would be writing. Task: This tool will help students in writing during class. (Molly Mazala)
The Heavyweight Pencil: Rose Garofalo Description: This low-tech tool reduces fatigue while increasing muscle strength. It also decreases hand tremors, improves legibility and prevents writer's cramp. Cost: $24.00 Link: Heavyweight Pencil Characteristics: Students who have fine motor issues will benefit from this tool. The pencil makes it easier to write because it balances the weight of the pencil. The tool also builds hand strength for students who have fine motor challenges. Environment: This tool can be used just about anywhere. Students may use it in school while writing, as well as at home or anywhere else they may have to write. Tasks: In the classroom, this tool will help students in writing class, or whenever else they may need to write.
BAC Keyboard: Rose Garofalo AT Hardware Description: The BAC Keyboard replicates the functions of a normal keyboard, but with greater efficiency and convenience. The BAT Keyboard uses different 'chords' to replicate letters, numbers, commands, etc., just like a normal keyboard. Cost: $199.00 Link: BAT Keyboard Characteristics of Students: Students with physical or visual impairments will benefit from this tool. Just like a keyboard, it will take some time to figure out all of the combinations of chords, but many students will get it in no time. Students will benefit from this because not only is it easier than a keyboard, it is much easier than writing with pen and paper. Environment: This tool is excellent for the classroom. Students can use it when typing information or just navigating the computer. Tasks: This will assist students during writing lessons. Low Tech item: Wikki Sticks
Price: $3.75 per colored pack (many kits and packages are available as well) Link:http://www.wikkistix.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=5 Brief description: Are bendable, colorful sticks made out of hand-knitting yarn and food-grade non-toxic wax. This low-tech tool can be used for a variety of assistive tech activities. Student characteristics: This tool helps benefit students who need help with a variety handwriting problems and much more. This tool helps students with autism and with attention problems as well. Environment: This low-tech tool would be great in a general education or special education classroom. This tool could also be used a at home if needed. Task: Wikki Sticks can help students in the following ways. For handwriting, Wikki sticks can be used to trace letters and shapes, be wrapped around a pencil to remind students to hold down low, numbers and shapes can be made, and can show students where to start and a stop writing on a page. Other uses involve being a tactile tool for students with autism and a fidget tool for children with attention problems (Megan Herman)
Description:(Low tech) This low tech writing tool consists of paper with raised lies and wide spaces. It can come in sheets of paper or notebooks.
Characters: Students who may benefit from this resource/tool are students who lack the motor skills necessary to effectively handwrite legibly. The use of raised lined papers assist students by reminding them where the lines are because raised lies make it more difficult for their pencil to move over the lines. Also, students with Autism can benefit from raised lined paper because it provides them with a tactile representation about where the lines on the paper are providing assistance with the motor aspect of writing.
Environment: This resource could be used in the academic environment to assist with the motor aspect of writing.
Tasks: This will help students with writing legibly by keeping their handwriting within the lines of paper. It will also remind students where their handwriting should be as they write on lined paper, scaffolding them to be able to eventually write legibly without the raised lines.
Evo Pen
Evo Pen Cost: $5.95 Description: This is a low tech writing tool (pen) that is designed to fit in the palm of the hand. Characteristics: This tool can be used for students who have fine motor difficulties that makes gripping a pencil difficult. The oval shape of the pen allows it to fit in the child’s natural grip of their hand. The student can then benefit by being able to write using a pen when completing assignments in the classroom. Environment: This tool can be used in the academic environment as well as at home. Tasks: The pen can be used for writing assignments. Whether the student is simply taking notes or they are writing a paper, this tool will allow the child to accomplish these tasks without the use of a computer.
Low Tech Tool: Handwriter
Price: $5.30
http://www.onionmountaintech.com/item.php?id=1122
Description: This tool is designed to facilitate the correct positioing and holding of a pencil.
Students Characteristics: Students who have autism or ADHD may benefit from using this handwriter tool. Autistic children tend to have poor motor skills and this handwriter tool will help them with their fine motor skills in order to hold a pencil correctly. Children with ADHD are very hyperactive and lose focus quickly. This handwriter tool will help them stay focused and keep their pencil in place.
Environment: This handwriter tool can be used in any elementary or special education classroom.or at home.
Tasks: This handwriter tool can help with handwriting and fine motor skills.
Name: Jessica Ganslaw
Low Tech Tool: Pencil Grip
Price: $1.75 - http://www.onionmountaintech.com
Name:Chelsea Miller
Description: This small rubberized tool is used to help students hold their pencil correctly.
Characteristics of Students: This would be a great tool for any child who is just not holding their pencil correctly. Some children need a little extra support when learning how to hold a pencil and this would be a great tool for them to use. This tool could also be used for a student who has ADHD and just needs a little something to help keep their hands in the correct place. This would also help an ADHD student stay focused on their hand writing.
Environment: The Pencil Grip could be used in the classroom, or special education room. I would even suggest this to a parent to use at home with the student.
Tasks: The Pencil grip can help with fine motor skills and handwriting.
Slant Board- $30.00
Visual Edge
Description: A slant board provides an elevated reading and writing surface, providing assistance in both areas.
Characteristics: Students who have fine motor challenges will find slant board to be more comfortable and easier to write. Additionally, students who need a closer visual connection to text would benefit from this product.
Environment: This product can be used across any curriculum in which students would be writing.
Task: This tool will help students in writing during class.
(Molly Mazala)
The Heavyweight Pencil: Rose Garofalo
Description: This low-tech tool reduces fatigue while increasing muscle strength. It also decreases hand tremors, improves legibility and prevents writer's cramp.
Cost: $24.00
Link: Heavyweight Pencil
Characteristics: Students who have fine motor issues will benefit from this tool. The pencil makes it easier to write because it balances the weight of the pencil. The tool also builds hand strength for students who have fine motor challenges.
Environment: This tool can be used just about anywhere. Students may use it in school while writing, as well as at home or anywhere else they may have to write.
Tasks: In the classroom, this tool will help students in writing class, or whenever else they may need to write.
BAC Keyboard: Rose Garofalo
AT Hardware
Description: The BAC Keyboard replicates the functions of a normal keyboard, but with greater efficiency and convenience. The BAT Keyboard uses different 'chords' to replicate letters, numbers, commands, etc., just like a normal keyboard.
Cost: $199.00
Link: BAT Keyboard
Characteristics of Students: Students with physical or visual impairments will benefit from this tool. Just like a keyboard, it will take some time to figure out all of the combinations of chords, but many students will get it in no time. Students will benefit from this because not only is it easier than a keyboard, it is much easier than writing with pen and paper.
Environment: This tool is excellent for the classroom. Students can use it when typing information or just navigating the computer.
Tasks: This will assist students during writing lessons.
Low Tech item: Wikki Sticks
Price: $3.75 per colored pack (many kits and packages are available as well)
Link: http://www.wikkistix.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=5
Brief description: Are bendable, colorful sticks made out of hand-knitting yarn and food-grade non-toxic wax. This low-tech tool can be used for a variety of assistive tech activities.
Student characteristics: This tool helps benefit students who need help with a variety handwriting problems and much more. This tool helps students with autism and with attention problems as well.
Environment: This low-tech tool would be great in a general education or special education classroom. This tool could also be used a at home if needed.
Task: Wikki Sticks can help students in the following ways. For handwriting, Wikki sticks can be used to trace letters and shapes, be wrapped around a pencil to remind students to hold down low, numbers and shapes can be made, and can show students where to start and a stop writing on a page. Other uses involve being a tactile tool for students with autism and a fidget tool for children with attention problems
(Megan Herman)
Evo Pen
Evo Pen
Cost: $5.95
Description: This is a low tech writing tool (pen) that is designed to fit in the palm of the hand.
Characteristics: This tool can be used for students who have fine motor difficulties that makes gripping a pencil difficult. The oval shape of the pen allows it to fit in the child’s natural grip of their hand. The student can then benefit by being able to write using a pen when completing assignments in the classroom.
Environment: This tool can be used in the academic environment as well as at home.
Tasks: The pen can be used for writing assignments. Whether the student is simply taking notes or they are writing a paper, this tool will allow the child to accomplish these tasks without the use of a computer.
(Rebecca Schwartz)